The family of Derek Boogaard has filed a lawsuit against the NHL, claiming the league is responsible for his death two years ago.

Boogaard, who died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs and alcohol on May 13, 2011, was also diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head.

"To distil this to one sentence, you take a young man, you subject him to trauma, you give him pills for that trauma, he becomes addicted to those pills, you promise to treat him for that addiction, and you fail," William Gibbs, a lawyer for the Boogaard family, told the New York Times.

Boogaard was under contract with the Rangers at the time of his death. He was 28.

A spokesperson for the NHL declined comment.

The Boogaard family filed a lawsuit against the NHL Players' Association last September, but it was dismissed after the judge ruled that the family waited too long to act.

CANADA EDGES CZECHS

Team Canada has an excellent chance at winning its pool at the world hockey championship.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner scored the game-winning goal 6:55 into the third, leading Canada to a 2-1 win Sunday over the Czech Republic in Stockholm.

Winger Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers opened the scoring for Canada on the power play at 11:01 of the first, tipping in a shot from 'Canes captain Eric Staal.

The Czechs replied with less than three minutes left in the frame on a goal by Petr Koukal.

Flyers defenceman Luke Schenn was thrown out of the game after receiving a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for a hit from behind on Czech forward Zbynek Irgl during the second period. Schenn is automatically suspended for Canada's next game.

Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith stopped 30 shots in the victory, while Ondrej Pavelec of the Winnipeg Jets took the loss.

Canada's final preliminary game is Monday against winless Slovenia, who have been outscored 23-9.

HITCHCOCK, HALAK WERE AT ODDS

Perhaps St. Louis Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak was unhappy with the way he was used by his coach near the end of the regular season.

That may explain a heated argument outside the Blues' locker room the morning of Game 4 of their playoff series against the Kings in Los Angeles, according to a report.

"These are internal discussions between a player and coach," Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch when asked about the incident.

A source explained that the confrontation was triggered by Halak being late for a team meeting. It then escalated after the goalie complained about his ice time, particularly after returning from a groin injury in mid-April.

Halak did not play in the final 14 games of the regular season and didn't see a single minute in the playoffs.

The Kings eliminated the Blues in six games, losing the first-round series after winning the first two games at home.

Halak, 27, has one more season remaining on a four-year, $15 million contract with the Blues.